Improved bridle-bit



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. LETOHWORTH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED BRlDLE-BIT.

Spccih'cation formingl part of Letters Patent No. 102,838, dated May 10, 1870.

To al?. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WM. P. LEToHwoR'rH, of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Bridle-Bits, of Which-the following is a specication.

There is perhaps no one cause to which more of the serious disasters resulting from horses running away can be attributed than that of the breaking or parting of the mouthpiece ofthe bridle. This mouth-pieceis usually composed either of twisted wire, which forms the most reliable and at the same time one ofthe cheapest bits, or of malleable iron, cast with a hook at each end, which engages with the cheek-pieces by closing around them, formingwhat is termed a cold-joint.7 This mouthpiece is objectionable from the fact that the bending of the metal in forming the joints frequently produces partial fractures, which are not always discernible and which so weaken the connection as to render the bit insecure. The wire bit, though possessing the desirable qualities of strength and cheapness,is rejected by many on account of its liability to abrade, by reason of its roughness, the animals mouth, and a smooth bit ot' inferior strength and reliability adopted in its stead. In other cases the mouth-piece is covered with leather or vulcanite, or by a cast-metal sleeve, each of which involves a greater or less expense and increases by so much the cost of the bit.

The object of my invention is the production of a twisted bit, ot' wrought-iron, which shall possess all ofthe desired qualities of the twistedwire bit and at the same time be sufficiently smooth to prevent the abrasion of the animals mouth.

` The nature of my invention consist-s in forming the mouth-piece of a bridle-bit of wroughtiron rods `of such shape in cross-section as will produce, when twisted together, a mouth-piece having a comparatively smooth surface instead of the rough, spirally-corrugated surface which characterizes it when made of twisted wire.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I represents a plan of my improved bit; Fig.II,

a section through the cheek-pieces. Figs. III, IV, and V are cross-sectional views of rods of suitable shape for forming my improved mouthpiece.

Like letters refer to like parts in each ofthe figures.

' Arepresents the cheek-pieces, ofany ordinary and suitable construction and B, my improved mouth-piece, made by twisting together small rods of wrought-iron, half-round or half-oval in cross-section, or ofequivalent shape, having a plane or attened side, the iattened side of the rod being on the inside, after it has been twisted together. By the use of this shape of rod a. mouth-piece is produced which has a comparatively smooth outer surface, so much smoother thanthe common twisted-wire bit as to render a special covering to protect the mouth unnecessary. W hen round wire or rods are employed the roughness of the mouth-piece is in proportion to the diameter ofthe wire or rod--the larger the wire the rougher the bit. This fact renders the use of large wire objectionable on accountof the roughness ot' the bit produced therefrom, while a bit nia'le of small wire is objectionable lfrom the fact that itis more liable, by reason of its small dialneter, to cut the horses mouth, besides possessing less strength. By employing half-round or, preferably, half-oval rods a bit of suttimanufacture.

NVM. P. LETOHWORTH.

Witnesses F. R. DANFOETH, R. H. DANFORTH. 

